Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with Operation Dignity for Homeless Case Management Services and to Appropriate $242,242 from the General Fund Available Fund Balance for Services and Site Management. (Recreation and Parks Department 001-5120)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jill Keimach, City Manager
Re: Authorize the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with Operation Dignity for Homeless Case Management Services and to Appropriate $242,242 from the General Fund Available Fund Balance for Services and Site Management
BACKGROUND
Homeless encampments in Alameda and across the entire Bay Area region have grown in recent months and the City is working to address this issue throughout the Island, including at the future Jean Sweeney Open Space Park (Sweeney Park). Staff felt it was critical to begin addressing this issue, especially with the near-term and future development of Sweeney Park and the significant number of homeless people camping on the site. Staff brought together a committee with representatives from Alameda Point Collaborative, Operation Dignity, the Social Services Human Relations Board (SSHRB), the Paramedicine Program and the Community Development, Police, and Recreation and Parks Departments. This committee drafted a Homeless Action Plan and began a collaborative process to address the homeless issue in a direct and compassionate way.
On September 1, 2016, the City entered into an agreement with Operation Dignity to provide an initial assessment of the homeless population throughout the City. To accomplish this, its mobile outreach team directly contacted and surveyed people at various encampments over a six week period. The intention of this assessment was to provide more data as well as to start developing relationships with Alameda homeless residents in order to begin connecting them with needed services.
On September, 27, 2016, City staff, in collaboration with Alameda Point Collaborative, Operation Dignity and SSHRB, held a community meeting to discuss the homeless issue in Alameda. Many neighbors of Sweeney Park attended as well as several homeless individuals. At the community meeting, numerous residents asked about the City providing temporary housing solutions, such as a winter shelter, sanctioned tent city at the old campground at Alameda Point, or building “tiny homes.” Staff will be reaching out to Alameda faith-based organizations to determine if any of them are interested in opening and managing an overnight winter shelter. This would be the responsibility of the organizations, not a city-sponsored program.
Overall, residents, both at the meeting and through other communications, have been very receptive to the draft Homeless Action Plan and have expressed that they appreciate the City’s compassionate approach.
DISCUSSION
Initial Survey Assessment
Operation Dignity, a nonprofit based in Alameda and Oakland that serves homeless and veterans, provided the initial assessment of homeless people living in Alameda. Its mobile outreach team engaged with homeless individuals and gathered information on their housing history, both as homeless and total length of time living in Alameda, mental health and substance abuse issues, veterans’ status, criminal background and other background information. During this survey period, the outreach team also provided harm reduction outreach, in which it distributed basic wellness and safety items in the form of food, hygiene, blankets and transportation vouchers.
Most of the people that Operation Dignity staff contacted were very receptive, engaged and willing to talk. Nearly all of the people expressed an interest in case management services and housing. It is important to note that the information collected is self-reported and not fully accurate since it is based on what people report. Outreach workers are still building trust and relationships in addition to speaking with people who may have mental health issues. As Operation Dignity staff continue to develop a rapport and assist people with completing state and federal forms, the information will be refined so that it is more accurate.
The outreach team has already made an impact with the Alameda homeless population and began doing some case management as immediate opportunities arose. Operation Dignity has already assisted three people with their paperwork as their names came to the top of a housing wait list. The team assisted a person with a voucher for Oakland Housing Authority, another whose name came up on the Alameda Housing Authority waiting list and assisted a veteran with his federal housing paperwork and provided bus vouchers to enable him to go to the appropriate service location.
The outreach team is continuing to do basic case management services such as assisting people with obtaining identification and filling out paperwork for services and housing.
The survey identified 33 people living homeless in Alameda. Of those, more than half have lived in Alameda for five or more years with several living in Alameda for 25-40 years. Although these people were identified as living in Alameda for decades, they have been homeless for a few months to five or more years. Overall, the length of time that the surveyed people have been homeless ranges from two weeks to 11 years. The survey shows a significant number of people with substance abuse and mental health issues as well as several people who are victims of domestic violence. Overall, the survey established a baseline of people who are homeless in Alameda and showed that they have a strong interest in services and housing.
Ongoing Case Management Services
It is important to note that each homeless person and family have their own story and a unique situation to address. The amount of time required for each case varies greatly. For the ongoing case management services, Operation Dignity staff will provide onsite, street-based case management plus drop-in and scheduled case management hours at Alameda locations such as Alameda Point Collaborative. Case management includes linking people to a variety of social services as well as available housing options by assisting with paperwork, connecting them to services specific to their needs and providing transportation vouchers and other basic necessities.
Specifically, the case management services will respond to a client’s identified priority needs or emergency situations; build trust and engage clients; link clients with interim housing resources as desired and available; establish communication links with and for clients (cell phone, email, social support contacts); help prepare clients and set realistic expectations for obtaining and maintaining housing; link clients with housing resources, insurance, health care services, legal services, income supplements and other public benefits and help navigate those services; provide transportation assistance through bus tickets or other transportation; assess potential to reconnect with family/friends for housing; and assess eligibility and financial resources for housing.
The case management scope of service also includes managing client data, such as inputting information into the Alameda County Homeless Management Information System database to track outcomes and provide periodic reports. The work also includes collaborating with the City to share information with clients and participate in meetings with the City and community.
Homeless Action Plan
The Homeless Action Plan, drafted by the interagency committee, includes the following components:
• Initial survey assessment - completed.
• Posting notices at Sweeney Park to inform residents of the pending park development - completed.
• Operation Dignity will commence a one-year agreement for case management services for homeless people throughout Alameda, recognizing that the majority of people are living at Sweeney Park.
• Once construction dates are finalized for the first two phases of Sweeney Park, 30-day eviction notices will be posted for the construction zones and both the Police Department and Operation Dignity staff will work with people to move them out of those areas. A temporary construction fence will then be erected around the construction area. The Police Department will store any remaining personal belongings of encampment occupants as required by law.
• Begin clearing brush and weeds from non-occupied areas in Sweeney Park. This will be accomplished through a combination of using tractors and front-loaders for larger bushes and goats for the remainder of the area. Once a specific area is cleared, a new area will be addressed while maintaining the clearance of those already managed.
• Install temporary solar lighting throughout the undeveloped park area.
• Once the entire undeveloped area is cleared and unoccupied with construction completed on the first two phases, then all interior fencing will be removed (not including fencing along the business park and residential areas). This unimproved area will be opened to the public, connected with the developed areas and will have safety measures in place including police presence, ongoing landscape maintenance and the solar lighting. If the fence and “No Trespassing” signs were to remain in place, there would be a strong potential for encampments to re-establish as well as an ongoing expense for police enforcement and fencing repairs similar to the existing conditions.
The Alameda Police Department has been very proactive in referring people to Operation Dignity as well as continuing enforcement at locations throughout the City to keep people from establishing new encampments. An area under the Fruitvale Bridge was cleared and continues to be clear of encampments as well as at the undeveloped area at Oak Street and Clement Avenue.
On September 22, 2016, SSHRB reviewed and recommended the draft Homeless Action Plan and asked to be involved with the ongoing process. Both the SSHRB Chair, Jennifer Williams, and SSHRB staff, Jim Franz, are on the now established Homeless Action Plan Committee. Staff is addressing the Council direction for SSHRB to review the City’s policies and procedures as they related to Alameda’s homeless population and make appropriate recommendations to the City Council.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Additional appropriation of $242,242 is required to cover the costs of a one-year agreement with Operation Dignity for homeless case management services in addition to installing solar lighting in unimproved areas of Sweeney Park, clearing significant brush and providing ongoing landscape maintenance to ensure clear sight lines for police enforcement and public safety.
Operation Dignity agreement $122,242
Solar lighting, brush clearing and ongoing maintenance $120,000
$242,242
Staff recommends Council authorize the following General Fund allocations in Fiscal Year 2016-17 to cover these program costs as follows:
|
Fund/Account |
Amount |
|
General Fund (Non-Departmental 1010) |
|
|
Professional Services |
$122,242 |
|
General Fund (Park Maintenance 5120) |
|
|
Contractual Services |
$30,000 |
|
Supplies |
$90,000 |
|
Total |
$242,242 |
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action does not affect the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to Section 15301 of CEQA Guidelines (Operation of Existing Facilities).
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Operation Dignity for homeless case management services and to appropriate $242,242 from the General Fund available fund balance for services and site management.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Operation Dignity Service Provider Agreement